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Date published: 6/11/2009

Orange County man sentenced to 11 years in child-abuse case

An Orange County man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after his January conviction on multiple charges of felony child abuse.

Jerry Wayne Cole, 58, who lives in the Burr Hill area, had been found guilty by substitute Judge Paul Peatross of two charges of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 15 and three charges of aggravated sexual battery of a child under 13. He was sentenced last week.

Cole was found not guilty by Peatross of four other counts of aggravated sexual battery.

The nine charges were brought against Cole in separate incidents involving three girls that began in 1999. The convictions were for crimes that occurred in 2005 and 2006.

Cole is incarcerated in Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange. He is eligible for $50,000 appeal bond.

His wife, Joann Houser Cole, has been indicted on charges of felony child neglect and obstruction of justice. She is scheduled to be tried Aug. 21.

--Robin Knepper

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Date published: 6/11/2009